INTRODUCTION Dear Learner Whitney s Kiss is a story about a life-changing experience that all began with a kiss. Set in Thembalethu in the Western Cape, Whitney s story deals with concerns that affect young people, like yourself, in some way or another. No matter where you live or where you come from, you share a common future that will be shaped by the choices and decisions made by the youth of South Africa today. Some of the activities in this section are based on an Activity Sheet. These are numbered according to their chapter and activity number, and can be found at the end of these Reading Activities. Your educator will give you photocopies of these sheets to work on. Enjoy taking part in the following activities with your educator and fellow learners to share in the experiences and lessons of Whitney and her friends. Before you read Whitney s Kiss Let s begin by taking a quick look at the book to get an idea of what it is all about. Listen and Speak i. Discuss with your group what you think this book is going to be about. Look for clues in the cover picture, title page, text layout and glossary. Report back to the class. 1
Read and View ii. In your local library, Whitney s Kiss would be listed as a Youth Novel. Before we begin reading we need to be aware of the words used to describe various elements of the story. Some of the words might be new to you. Ask your educator if you are unsure. In the table below, match the literary term in column A with its meaning in Column B. COLUMN A 1. PLOT 2. CLIMAX 3. NARRATIVE 4. SETTING 5. CHARACTERS 6. CONFLICT 7. INITIAL SITUATION 8. RISING ACTION 9. DENOUEMENT 10. SUSPENSE COLUMN B a. The reader experiences an anxious or curious interest. b. The time and place where the novel is set. c. This is a series of related events or incidents. d. This is a problem that needs to be solved. There can be more than one. e. Tells a story. f. These are the people in the story. g. These are the events that happen after the climax where things are put right or explained. h. The actions that the main character takes to resolve the conflict. i. The events or circumstances that the main character experiences at the beginning of the story. j. This is the point in the story when conflict is resolved. The main character must make a decision or take an action. iii. Work with your group to use dictionaries and/or the internet to look up the meaning of the word: CREDIBILITY. a. Write down the three best definitions your group finds to share with the class. 2
b. Find out about the author by reading these pages in the book: Acknowledgements, About the author and the Dedication. i. Discuss the following questions about the author: Who is Onne Vegter? Why should we read his book or learn from his story? Why should we believe what he says about AIDS? What does he understand about young people and the issues they face? ii. Work with your educator and the rest of the class to make a mind map summary about the author. Keep your mind map for reference when we get to Chapter 8. iv. Story Plotting Activity: Refer to Activity Sheet iv on p.54. Your educator will give you a photocopy of this activity sheet to work on. a. Paste the activity sheet into your workbook. b. Work with your group to plot the story example. v. Genre (pronounced: zh arn-ruh) is a word from French that means type of. When you choose a video to watch, you might choose an adventure, a thriller or a comedy. These are all genres or types of movies. a. Look at the table of some of the genres of books below. b. By looking at the cover of Whitney s Kiss, decide which genre the novel fits into. c. Briefly explain what the writer s purpose is in writing this type of novel. GENRE Adventure Science Fiction Humour Real Life Biography CHARACTERISTICS Skydiving, action Aliens, the future Jokes, comedy, funny situations Family conflict, making friends Famous people or infamous people WRITER S PURPOSE Entertain, bring about a feeling of adrenalin Entertain, ask ourselves: Can it happen? Entertain Inform, entertain Inform, entertain 3
While you read Whitney s Kiss CHAPTER 1 Listen and Speak 1.1 Read or listen to the song: First Kiss by Mandy Moore, then discuss the questions that follow with your group. Your educator will ask each group to report back. First Kiss - Mandy Moore Hey yeah Will I close my eyes? Will I hold my breath? Will I wanna cry? Will our souls connect? I ve been thinking about it when I go to bed at night I wonder - wonder. Will you hold my hand? Will you speak of love? Will the stars be shining in the sky above? Will it be you I ve been dreaming of for so long holding on? 1.1.1 In the song First Kiss, Mandy Moore wonders what her first kiss will be like. In your groups, talk about what you want your first kiss to be like or, if you have been kissed, was your first kiss what you expected it to be? 1.1.2 Discuss whether you think two people who are in love should be honest about everything or can there be some secrets between them? 4
1.1.3 If you fell in love for the first time, would you tell your parents or not? Give a reason for your answer. Write and Present 1.2 Design a Valentine s Card for a local card shop. Write a short romantic message or poem on the inside. [10] Review and Reflect 1.3 Your educator will show you which of your workbooks to use as a journal. A journal is a form of a diary in which you can express your innermost thoughts. It is a tool that allows you to reflect and grow personally. This year it will also be used to improve your writing. In your journal, you will be able to write freely and it will not count for marks. This is one of the times when spelling and grammar won t count. The only requirements are that you may not write in SMS language and you may not be rude. It is also very important that you are honest and truthful with yourself in order to grow. Your educator will give you a topic or a question that will enable you to write about whatever is on your mind. You will have time to reflect and write in your journal regularly and opportunities to share your thoughts and ideas. Start by writing down your thoughts on the following: 1.3.1 Girls and boys cannot just be friends OR Read and View 1.4 Answer the following comprehension questions in your workbook: 5
1.4.1 How old is Whitney? (1) 1.4.2 In what Grade is Whitney? (1) 1.4.3 How old is Lucky? (1) 1.4.4 What little lie from Lucky did Whitney not mind? (1) 1.4.5 How did Whitney know that Lucky was in love with her? (3) 1.4.6 Was Lucky his real name? (1) 1.4.7 What reasons did Whitney give Lucky why he could not walk her home after school? (2) 1.4.8 How did Lucky manage to get a key for the storeroom? (3) 1.4.9 Do you think Whitney knew how far she wanted to go with Lucky? (3) 1.4.10 Whitney could see concern in her teacher s eyes. From what you have read so far, do you think Mrs Pillay had reason to be worried about Whitney or not? Why do you say so? (5) [21] Language use 1.5 Language Use Activity: Refer to Activity Sheet 1.5 on p.57. Your educator will give you a photocopy of this activity sheet to work on. 1.5.1 Paste the sheet into your workbook and complete the activities. Read and View 1.6. Story Outline Activity: Refer to Activity Sheet 1.6 on p.58. Your educator will give you a photocopy of this activity to work on. 1.6.1 Paste the activity sheet into your workbook. 1.6.2 Fill in as much of the information as you can so far on the worksheet. (You will need to return to this worksheet to fill in more details as you read the story further. This task will help you to improve your own story writing later). 6
1.7 Character Interaction: Crossword Puzzle: Refer to Activity Sheet 1.7 on p.60. Your educator will give you a photocopy of this activity to work on. 1.7.1 Paste the activity sheet into your workbook. 1.7.2 Complete the crossword puzzle, using the clues that relate to Whitney s first kiss. 1.8 Draw the table below in your workbook. 1.8.1 Decide which characteristics (the way people are) best describe Lucky and which best describe Whitney. Then make ticks under their names. (If you don t know the meaning of a word, look it up in a dictionary or ask your educator to explain it to you and then write the meaning next to the word). CHARACTERISTIC Dishonest Excited Unsure Secretive Careful Funny WHITNEY LUCKY CHARACTERISTIC Charming Scared Disrespectful Uncomfortable Popular Uncertain WHITNEY LUCKY 1.9 Answer the following contextual questions in your workbook based on Chapter 1: 1.9.1 Do you feel Whitney knows Lucky well enough to trust him after 9 days? Why or why not? (3) 1.9.2 Why do you think Whitney was nervous and apprehensive at the same time as being excited about being alone with Lucky? What was she nervous about? (4) 1.9.3 How do we know that Whitney knows what she has done is wrong? (2) 1.9.4 Why did Mrs Pillay say: Whitney! Not you! What is this? (3) 1.9.5 Using the text to support your answer, say whether you agree with the following statement or not: There are good and bad secrets, but sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference. [17] 7
Review and Reflect 1.10 Imagine you are Whitney (if you are a girl) or Lucky (if you are a boy). Think about the things you already know about them by the end of this chapter. Now imagine that you have just been caught kissing in the storeroom. If you were one of the characters, what would you write in your journal that afternoon? 1.10.1 Write a journal entry of about 70 80 words as if you were Whitney or Lucky. Pay special attention to your feelings and thoughts. 8